Allegri praises AC Milan's ‘spirit’
Massimiliano Allegri lauded AC Milan’s “spirit” after it held on with 10 men to secure a 2-1 win over Napoli, ensuring it returned to the Serie A summit after Roma's 2-0 win over Hellas Verona earlier.
The Rossoneri got off to a dream start, racing to a 2-0 lead inside 31 minutes courtesy of an inspired Christian Pulisic, who set up Alexis Saelemaekers for the opener before scoring the second himself.
The match shifted when Pervis Estupinan was sent off for bringing down Giovanni Di Lorenzo, giving Kevin De Bruyne the chance to score from the penalty spot and spark a nervy finish, with David Neres even hitting the post in stoppage time.
Milan's stern rearguard frustrated Napoli, which took 19 shots. The last time it registered 19 or more total shots in a Serie A match and still lost was in March 2024, when it managed 20 attempts against Atalanta.
“I am happy because this was an important and very difficult test against a quality Napoli side,” Allegri said. “Our first half was great, the second unfortunately saw us down to 10 men.
"At least we managed to practice our defending, these are situations where you can be forced to give away scoring opportunities.
“The lads did really well, but this is just the beginning. We must enjoy the victory tonight, then from tomorrow start to focus on the next match before the break for international duty.”
Milan recorded its fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, having conceded just one goal and scoring 11.
“We’ve got to keep working, we made a small step forward today with a deserved victory against a strong Napoli," Allegri said.
"When you know how to suffer under pressure, it makes it easier to win if you have this kind of spirit."
